How Many Carbs Should I Eat Daily to Lose Weight?

Limiting carbohydrate intake is one form of dieting.

Doctor Robert Adkins' Recommendations

The late Dr. Robert Atkins recommended restricting carbohydrates to less than 20 grams a day for the first two weeks of his famous diet. This was called the "induction" phase. Atkins stated carbohydrates should gradually be increased thereafter, to a maximum of 100 to 150 grams per day, which is the diet's "maintenance" level.

Statements from the Mayo Clinic Website

According to MayoClinic.com, 50 to 150 grams of carbohydrates should be consumed throughout the course of the diet, without variation. Information on their website states that following this guideline is sufficient to for weight reduction, although it does not state the exact amount of weight loss you should expect.

Bottom Line

Atkins maintained that forcing the body into a state of ketosis--burning fat for energy--is critical to the low carb diet's success and limiting carbohydrates to less than 20 grams per day is the only way to achieve this. At the time of his death on April 17, 2003, Doctor Atkins had 40 years experience researching and prescribing the low-carb diet.